1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to mechanically harvesting and decoring agricultural products, and, more particularly, to a mechanical harvester for harvesting and mechanically removing the core from produce planted in a field, the produce having a core, such as iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, and cabbage.
2. Description of Related Art
Romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, and cabbage are commercially planted as seeds or seedlings in rows in a field. Because these types of produce tend to be somewhat irregular and delicate, commercial harvesting of these produce is generally a manual process.
Conventionally, the harvesting process involves several steps. First, a field worker harvests the produce using a harvesting knife, by cutting the stem of the produce planted in the ground. Next, the field worker removes the core and any remnant amount of stem. The field worker then places the harvested produce on a moving platform for subsequent processing and packing. This decoring step is performed by field workers, who are preparing the harvested produce for commercial packaging (e.g., for prepackaged salad mixes).
This labor-intensive decoring step often requires a worker with an experienced eye to remove the core so as to maximize the desirable portions and minimize the waste portions of the harvested produce. A poorly cut produce will result in too much waste material remaining attached to the produce, or too many desirable portions ending up in waste.